Techniques in multiple measurement gaps in new radio (NR)

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, storage media, and systems for multiple measurement gaps (MGs) configurations with user equipment (UE) capability of supporting the multiple MGs in New Radio (NR) involved networks. Various embodiments describe how to communicate a UE capability of supporting multiple MGs between the UE and an access node (AN) so that multiple MGs may be configured to the UE effectively and efficiently. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to perform operations, wherein the operations comprise:
 receiving a first message from a base station (BS); 
 decoding the first message, wherein the first message indicates a maximum number of measurement gaps (MGs) supported by the BS; 
 determining a capability of the UE to support multiple MGs, based on the maximum number of MGs supported by the BS, wherein the multiple MGs are less than or equal to the maximum number of MGs supported by the BS; 
 generating a second message comprising an information element (IE) indicating a capability of the UE to support the multiple MGs, wherein the IE indicates a range of integers from 0 to N, wherein the range of integers indicates the multiple MGs supported by the UE, and wherein N indicates a maximum number of the multiple MGs supported by the UE; 
 transmitting the second message to a base station (BS); 
 receiving a third message from the BS, wherein the third message comprises a first measurement configuration including a single MG based on an indication in the second message, and an enquiry with respect to MG preferences for the multiple MGs that correspond to a plurality of measurement objects (MOs); 
 determining respective MG preferences in response to the enquiry with respect to the multiple MGs; and 
 transmitting to the BS, a fourth message that indicates the respective MG preferences. 
 
     
     
       2. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 1 , wherein the IE is a measurement and mobility parameters (MeasAndMobParameters) IE. 
     
     
       3. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 1 , wherein the IE indicates a number of MGs of the multiple MGs or a list of the MGs of the multiple MGs that are supported by the UE. 
     
     
       4. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 1 , wherein the IE indicates one or more serving bands or serving band combinations that are supported by the UE. 
     
     
       5. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 4 , wherein the IE comprises MG capability information that indicates one or more MGs of the multiple MGs that correspond to individual serving bands or serving band combinations of the one or more serving bands or the serving band combinations. 
     
     
       6. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 1 , wherein the first message further indicates one or more target measurement bands of the BS, and wherein the determining the capability of the UE to support the multiple MGs is based on the one or more target measurement bands and the maximum number of MGs supported by the BS. 
     
     
       7. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 1 , wherein, the operations further comprise:
 decoding the single MG configured by the first measurement configuration, wherein the first measurement configuration is based on the capability of the UE; and 
 performing a measurement with the single MG. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, from the BS, a second measurement configuration comprising one or more MGs of the multiple MGs, wherein the second measurement configuration is based on the respective MG preferences; and 
 decoding the one or more MGs of the multiple of MGs. 
 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 1 , wherein the respective MG preferences indicate whether the UE supports each MG of the multiple MGs enquired by the third message. 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a base station (BS), cause the BS to perform operations, wherein the operations comprise:
 generating a first message that indicates a maximum number of measurement gaps (MGs) supported by the BS; 
 transmitting the first message to a user equipment (UE) via a broadcast message or a dedicated message; 
 receiving a second message that includes an information element (IE) from the UE; 
 decoding the IE, wherein the IE indicates a capability of the UE to support multiple MGs, wherein the IE indicates a range of integers from 0 to N, wherein the range of integers indicates the multiple MGs supported by the UE, and wherein N indicates a maximum number of the multiple MGs supported by the UE; 
 determining a single MG for the UE based on the second message; 
 transmitting, to the UE, a third message comprising a first measurement configuration comprising the single MG, and an enquiry regarding MG preferences for the multiple MGs that correspond to a plurality of measurement objects (MOs); and 
 receiving a fourth message from the UE comprising respective MG preferences of the multiple MGs. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 10 , wherein the third message further indicates one or more target measurement bands for UE measurements. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory CRM of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining one or more MGs of the multiple of MGs for the UE, based on the respective MG preferences of the multiple MGs; and 
 transmitting, to the UE, a second measurement configuration that includes the one or more MGs of the multiple MGs. 
 
     
     
       13. A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a memory; and 
 one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
 receive a first message from a base station (BS); 
 decode the first message, wherein the first message indicates a maximum number of measurement gaps (MGs) supported by the BS; 
 determine a capability of the UE to support multiple MGs, based on the maximum number of MGs supported by the BS, wherein the multiple MGs are less than or equal to the maximum number of MGs supported by the BS; 
 generate a measurement and mobility parameters (MeasAndMobParameters) information element (IE) indicating a capability of the UE to support the multiple MGs, wherein the IE indicates a range of integers from 0 to N, wherein the range of integers indicates the multiple MGs supported by the UE, and wherein N indicates a maximum number of the multiple MGs supported by the UE; 
 generate a second message that includes the IE; 
 transmit the second message to the BS; 
 receive a third message from the BS, wherein the third message comprises a first measurement configuration including a single MG based on an indication in the second message, and an enquiry with respect to MG preferences for the multiple MGs that correspond to a plurality of measurement objects (MOs); 
 determine respective MG preferences in response to the enquiry with respect to the multiple MGs; and 
 transmit to the BS, a fourth message that indicates the respective MG preferences. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The UE of  claim 13 , wherein the MeasAndMobParameters IE further indicates a number of MGs of the multiple MGs or a list of enumerated MGs of the multiple MGs that are supported by the UE with respect to the capability. 
     
     
       15. The UE of  claim 13 , wherein the MeasAndMobParameters IE further indicates one or more serving bands or serving band combinations that are supported by the UE. 
     
     
       16. The UE of  claim 13 , wherein the first message further indicates one or more target measurement bands of the BS, and wherein the determining the capability of the UE to support the multiple MGs is based on the one or more target measurement bands and the maximum number of MGs supported by the BS. 
     
     
       17. The UE of  claim 13 , wherein the IE indicates a number of MGs of the multiple MGs or a list of the MGs of the multiple MGs that are supported by the UE. 
     
     
       18. The UE of  claim 13 , wherein, the one or more processors are further configured to:
 decode the single MG configured by the first measurement configuration, wherein the first measurement configuration is based on the capability of the UE; and 
 perform a measurement with the single MG. 
 
     
     
       19. The UE of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 receive, from the BS, a second measurement configuration comprising one or more MGs of the multiple MGs, wherein the second measurement configuration is based on the respective MG preferences; and 
 decode the one or more MGs of the multiple MGs. 
 
     
     
       20. The UE of  claim 13 , wherein the respective MG preferences indicate whether the UE supports each MG of the multiple MGs enquired by the third message.